Famous Awards in History

The Boston Marathon Trophy

Made of sterling silver, this perpetual trophy carries the names of the winner of the Boston Marathon. This trophy is custom made by Reed & Barton, the famous silversmith from Taunton, Massachusetts, founded in 1824.

The Oscar

PHOTOS: OSCAR STATUETTE GETTING 1920S MAKEOVER FROM NEW FOUNDRY By James A. Molnar on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 -

Oscar Statuette

The 3-D printed Oscar image is cleaned prior to making the production mold. Oscar is looking into his past for a makeover. The Academy has hired Rock Tavern, New York-based company Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry to tweak and exclusively create its iconic golden statuette, starting with Feb. 28's Academy Awards. This is big news for Oscar fans, the Academy and future winners. To give the Oscar his striking appearance, all surfaces have to be perfect. Using a cast bronze Oscar from 1929, artisans at Polich Tallix have restored subtle features of George Stanley's original sculpture, which was based on sketches by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons.

The overall size of the statuette— 13.5 inches tall and 8.5 pounds — remains the same. The Oscar will now be hand-cast in bronze before receiving its 24-karat gold finish, in a process that will take about three months to produce 50 statuettes. With the help of some 21st century technology, we're able to honor the Oscar’s proud beginnings,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs in a statement. “The new statuette exemplifies impeccable craftsmanship and the enduring nature of art.” It's a sad day for Chicago-based R.S. Owens & Company, which has made the statuettes since 1982. However, the Academy says it will keep R.S. Owens on for servicing existing statuettes and creating other awards, including plaques for its annual Scientific and Technical Awards. The Process Polich Tallix started its Oscar-making process by creating digital scans of the 1929 statuette and a modern-era pedestal base. The digital Oscar was then 3-D printed (see photo above) and molded (see photo below) so the form could be cast in wax. Each wax statuette is coated in a ceramic shell that is cured and fired at 1,600°F, melting the wax away and leaving an empty Oscar-shaped form. The statuettes are then cast in liquid bronze via a plumbing system (see below) at more than 1,800°F, cooled, and sanded to a mirror polish finish (see below). The figure portion of each Oscar is electroplated (see below) with a permanent layer of reflective 24-karat gold by Epner Technology, a renowned high-tech specification electroplating company in Brooklyn. Gold plating is only one micron thick and would not cover even the smallest indent. To accomplish a perfect surface, the castings are plated first with copper, then nickel, and polished to a high luster. The statuette’s bronze base receives a smooth black patina, which is hand-buffed to a satin finish. Founded in 1972, Polich Tallix combines advanced technology with world-class craftsmanship as it strives to create works of art that preserve each artist’s unique purpose and vision. “With this project, we’ve been entrusted with continuing a great tradition,” said Dick Polich, Polich Tallix founder and CEO. “It’s a privilege to be able to bring our art experience and technical expertise to the Oscar.” The 88th Academy Awards, for outstanding film achievements of 2015, will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Borg-Warner Trophy The Borg-Warner Trophy

BorgWarner and its predecessor companies have been associated with the Indianapolis 500 since that racing tradition began in 1911. The Wheeler-Schebler Trophy was awarded from 1911 through 1935. The trophy was named after Frank Wheeler, one of the Speedway's four original founders, and George Schebler, one of two partners in a carburetor company that merged into the group that formed BorgWarner in 1928. The founding organizations were Borg & Beck, Warner Gear, Marvel-Schebler and Mechanics Universal Joint.

The Borg-Warner Trophy made its debut in 1936 when it was presented to race winner Louis Meyer. Meyer said, "Winning the Borg-Warner Trophy is like winning an Olympic medal." Made of 110 pounds of sterling silver, the Borg-Warner Trophy originally cost $10,000 and is currently valued at $3.5 million. The trophy clearly reflects the "art deco" period of its creation during the 1930s. During the race, the Borg-Warner Trophy is displayed trackside. When the winner pulls into Victory Lane, the trophy is placed on the rear of the car behind the driver. This tradition dates back to 1911, when Ray Harroun won the race with an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour.

The Borg-Warner Trophy has appeared in several Hollywood movies, including "To Please a Lady" with Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable, and "Winning" with Paul Newman. In the latter, Paul Newman talks on the phone about his racing victory while standing in a phone booth with a scaled-down version of the trophy proudly tucked under his arm.

The overall trophy stands 5 feet, 4-3/4 inches tall. Guidelines for its creation stipulated that it must represent the spirit of world-class racing, be constructed of precious metal, and be of heroic proportions. The completed work was characterized by its luxurious use of geometric and stylized forms, including wings of victory "handles" on each side of the trophy to symbolize speed, and a Greek-like figure of a man waving the traditional checkered flag atop a silver dome. The original trophy base was designed to display images of the faces of 80 Indianapolis 500 winners. Two new bases have since been constructed to add more space -- one in 1986, to provide space for 18 more faces, and one in 2004, adding capacity for winners through 2034.

The winner does not actually receive the original Borg-Warner trophy, which weighs more than 150 pounds. Instead, the winner gets a faceless, miniature version, called the “Baby Borg.” Dario Franchitti, who won the 2012 race, collected his baby Saturday.

National Champion Trophy

From Wikipedia: AFCA National Championship Trophy Awarded for Coaches' Poll national champion (1986-present) Winner of BCS National Championship Game (1998-2013) Winner of Bowl Alliance (1995-1997) Winner of Bowl Coalition (1992-1994) Country United States Presented by American Football Coaches Association First awarded 1986 (retroactively available to #1 Coaches' Poll teams) Currently held by Ohio State Official website www.afca.com The AFCA National Championship Trophy (also known as the Coaches' Trophy) is the trophy awarded annually by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the NCAA Division I FBS college football national champion as determined by the Coaches' Poll.

The trophy has been presented since 1986 and was contractually given to the winner of the BCS National Championship Game and its predecessors from 1992-2013. It will continue to be awarded to the No. 1 ranked team in the final poll of the season. The trophy consists of a Waterford Crystal football affixed to an ebony base, and carries a value of over $30,000. The winning school retains permanent possession of the trophy, as a new one is awarded every year. The football portion of the trophy weighs approximately 8 pounds and together with the stand, it weighs about 45 pounds (20 kg) and stands 34 inches tall. It is handmade by master craftspeople at Waterford Crystal and reportedly takes nearly three months to complete.

The trophy has undergone several sponsorship changes over the years. It was sponsored by the Gerrits Foundation during the initial 1986 and 1987 seasons. Patrick and Michael Gerrits came up with the idea for a college football trophy to be awarded to the AFCA national champions along with an academic scholarship award to a non-athlete. The intent was to honor the memory of the patriarch of the Gerrits family, Edward J. Gerrits. The expenses associated with the trophy eventually became too much of a burden to the family, so Pepsi became a co-sponsor in 1988 and 1989. McDonald's was the sole sponsor from 1990-1992. Sears began its sponsorship in 1993 and remained until 2001. Circuit City assumed the sponsorship for the 2002 season. ADT Security Services was the title sponsor from 2003 to 2005, and from 2009-2013 Dr Pepper sponsored the trophy. Since, 2014, Amway has been the trophy sponsor.

The official name is the American Football Coaches Association National Championship Trophy; it was given this permanent name by the association in 2006. In 2009, the AFCA allowed universities to buy replica trophies for any year a school finished first in the Coaches' Poll prior to the trophy's creation in 1986. Through the 1973 season, the final Coaches' Poll was released in early December, after the regular season, but before postseason bowl games. Beginning with the 1974 season, the Coaches' Poll conducted its final poll after the bowl games. During the era of the Bowl Championship Series and its predecessors (1992-2013), the BCS did not commission its own official trophy, and so the Coaches' Trophy was presented to the winning team in an on-field ceremony after the title game. With the demise of the BCS, its successor playoff system, the College Football Playoff, commissioned a new trophy for its champion; officials wanted a new trophy that was unconnected with the previous championship system. However, coaches were "adamant" that the AFCA trophy continue to be awarded. Since 2014, the trophy has been awarded to the team ranked No. 1 in the final Coaches' Poll of the season in a celebration at that team's stadium sometime after the College Football Championship Game.

How are the Oscar awards made?

A quick video from Oscar trophy manufacturer RS Owens and scenes from their Chicago factory where they are made. As you can see, the making of an Oscar Trophy is an involved and complicated process, involving many steps. The final result is a winner!

Noreen Prochavka gives us some more details of how the Oscar trophy is made by RS Owens:

Grammy Awards

Did you know, the Grammy trophies with the recipient's name engraved on them are not available until after the award announcements, so "stunt" trophies are re-used each year for the broadcast?

Golden Globes

More importantly than "who" the celebrities are wearing is the fact that revenues generated from the annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony have enabled the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to donate millions of dollars to entertainment-related charities, as well as funding scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals! It is so important to reward hard work and dedication!!

Emmy Award

The Emmy statuette, depicting a winged woman holding an atom, was designed by television engineer Louis McManus, who used his wife as the model. The TV Academy rejected a total of forty-seven proposals before settling on McManus' design in 1948. The statuette "has since become the symbol of the TV Academy's goal of supporting and uplifting the art and science of television: The wings represent the muse of art; the atom the electron of science."

US Open Trophy

The US Open Trophy - The last of tennis’ four Grand Slams, some argue the steamy summer air in Flushing Meadows, New York provides the toughest test for the sport’s best players – but one will find it all worth the trouble when he gets his hands on the polished silver of the US Open Trophy. Contested since 1881, the tournament has a reputation for being the most fan-friendly of the majors, as players often stick around for on-court interviews in front of the crowd.

The Lombardi Trophy

It started in 1966 on a napkin--a humble beginning for the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy. The scene was a luncheon attended by both Pete Rozelle, then-commissioner of the National Football League and Oscar Riedner, then-vice president for Tiffany. Since the first one was made in 1966, that design hasn't changed one iota, Wawrynek says. "That's one of the secrets of the sterling silver trophy's success and durability" he adds. "It's always been the same, which makes it instantly recognizable."

How is that Lombardi Trophy made? An inside look at the Tiffany factory and the making of the Lombardi Trophy.

The Stanley Cup

Originally commissioned in 1892 as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, the Stanley Cup Trophy is named for Lord Stanley of Preston, then–Governor General of Canada, who awarded it to Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. The first Cup was awarded in 1893 to Montreal HC. The winning team keeps the trophy until a new winner is crowned. What makes this very unique among sports trophies, is that each player, coach and team offial gets their name engraved on the trophy. Traditionally, each player takes the trophy home for a night. The current Stanley Cup is 35" tall and weighs 34 lbs.

Olympic Medals

The International Olympic Committee has strict guidelines on the production of the Olympic medals. According to the the U.S. Olympic Committee's Gresham, the medals must be at least 60 millimeters in diameter and 3 millimeters thick. The silver in both the gold and silver medals must be at least 925-1000 grade, the gold medal must have at least 6 grams of pure gold and the bronze medal must be pure bronze.

The Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy

The only way to get one, is to win it. Made by Tiffany & Co of pure silver that is gold plated, this video shows how it is made.

Valued at $13,500, the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy is made of 14.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay, stands two feet tall, & is designed to look like a basketball about to enter a net. The basketball itself is 9" in diameter - about the size of an NBA regulation ball. The winning team maintains permanent possession of the trophy, which is engraved with the team name and year. (Wikipedia)

The Wanamaker Trophy

The Wanamaker Trophy - The first PGA Championship was held in October 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Eastchester, New York.[3] The winner, Jim Barnes, received $500 and a diamond-studded gold medal donated by Rodman Wanamaker. The 2012 winner, Rory McIlroy, earned $1.445 million. The champion is also awarded a replica of the Wanamaker Trophy, which was also donated by Wanamaker, to keep for one year, and a smaller-sized keeper replica Wanamaker Trophy.

World Cup Trophy

Fifty-three submissions were received from sculptors in seven countries. Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga was awarded the commission. The trophy stands 36.5 centimetres (14.4 inches) tall and is made of 5 kg (11 lb) of 18 carat (75%) gold with a base (13 centimetres [5.1 inches] in diameter) containing two layers of malachite. It has been asserted by Sir Martyn Poliakoff that the trophy is hollow; if, as is claimed, it were solid, the trophy would weigh 70–80 kg and would be too heavy to lift. Produced by Bertoni, Milano in Paderno Dugnano, it weighs 6.175 kg (13.6 lb) in total and depicts two human figures holding up the Earth. Gazzaniga described the trophy thus, "The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory."Captain Philipp Lahm lifts the World Cup trophy for Germany in 2014 .

The trophy has the engraving "FIFA World Cup" on its base. After the 1994 FIFA World Cup a plate was added to the bottom side of the trophy on which the names of winning countries are engraved, and are therefore not visible when the trophy is standing upright. The inscriptions state the year in figures and the name of the winning nation in its national language; for example, "1974 Deutschland" or "1994 Brasil". In 2010, however, the name of the winning nation was engraved as "2010 Spain", in English, not in Spanish. As of 2014, ten winners have been engraved on the base. The plate is replaced and rearranged the winners of the trophy into a spiral to accommodate future winners. FIFA's regulations now state that the trophy, unlike its predecessor, cannot be won outright: the winners of the tournament receive a Bronze replica which is gold plated rather than solid gold. Germany was the first nation to win the new trophy for the third time in 2014.